Sunday, April 29, 2012

Fork & Cork Wine Festival (Week 14)

Posing with our Fork & Cork Glasses!
The Fork & Cork weekend hath arrived.  While the day started off rather ominous, as dark storm clouds hung in the sky, I was none-the-less excited for the day's wine infused festivities.  We arrived at Fork & Cork in the rain at noon, and navigated our way through the gates with our trusty wine glasses in hand.  Headed to the first Winery in sight, we found: Fincastle Vineyard & Winery.


Fincastle Vineyards Booth
Our first wines of Fork & Cork were fairly traditional, as we were presented with: a classic Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Rose, and something called a 'Hybrid Vigor.' 


Fincastle Lady Pouring Some Rose!
Beginning with the Chardonnay, this bright golden white landed richly on the palate.  Featuring notes of heavy oak, butter, and a little bit of warm caramel, I enjoyed this white's simplicity and straight forwardness.  This clean and simple, cut and dry example of a well-done Chardonnay was my first, and dare I say, favorite wine at the festival? 

The Chardonnay was followed by a Cabernet Franc, which was a muddled purple/brown color.  This Cabernet Franc featured an 'old gym sock' nose, mixed with dark raspberry notes.  On the palate, I was able to detect the same dark berries that I discovered on the nose, with an Earthiness that I did not find too appetizing.  All-in-all, this wine had less bodied than I typically desire in a red.


Third in the line-up, the Rose had a very bright ruby color, and featured a delectable nose that included a floral bouquet and light berries.  on the palate, this Rose was heavy on the floral notes, with some strawberry jam flavors on the mid-palate.  I was a huge fan of this rose's light and fruity character.


Coming in last, the 'Hybrid Vigor,' featured a passion fruit nose with pineapple and mango notes on the palate.  While I am not a huge fan of wines with a tropical fruit zest, this was not a terrible combination. I did, however, find this to be more of a dessert wine as the sugars were a little too sweet for me.



Can't Resist some Homemade Sangria!
The end of the tasting was marked by a sample of the vineyard's homemade Sangria!  The Rose infused Sangria tasted exactly like strawberry lemonade, and was perfectly refreshing on the, now less rainy, spring day! 


The Best Place to go to Cure a Sinus Infection!
On our way to the next booth!  We made our way over to the 'Peaks of Otter Winery & Orchards' table.  Here, I would regret my decision in agreeing to drink liquid fire in exchange for a sticker.  Totally.not.worth.it.at.all.  This table had by far the most interesting assortment of wines, although they seemed to appeal to those with a desire to have wine that tastes more like fruit punch.  While that may sound negative, I actually found a few of their wines to be palatable enough to drink a glass of, while most may be more suitable for cooking.


A Can of Spray Cheese and Wine?
In total, we sampled 9 wines.  All of the wines resembled a heavy fruit syrup, with some being more palatable than others.  It is fair enough to say that after this table, and the one before it, I was feeling pretty damn good.  Included in the tasting were:  Pear, Sweet Peach, Sweet Heart (apple pomegranate), Blackberry Jam, Blue Ridge Mountain Grape, Salty Frog, Blueberry Muffin, Chili Dawg, and finally, Kiss the Devil.  

I found the Pear, Sweet Peach, and Blackberry Jam to be amongst my favorites, as they all were lightly flavored and not too syrupy.  Sweet Heart, Blue Ridge Mountain Grape, and Salty Frog were a little too literal in their flavor palate, which I found to be more suitable for cooking vs. tasting.

The finale consisted of two pepper infused wines that I, against my better judgement, agreed to taste.  The second of which, was a complete and utter disaster for my palate.  Declining the cheese-wiz offered, I went into this peppery wine straight, with no chaser.  Watery eyed, and a mouth full of fire, I immediately regretted my decision, as I waited for a full 45 min for the burning to stop.  Never. Ever. Ever. Again.  While this was my roommate's favorite novelty, I will never again Kiss the Devil.


Simply.  Magical. 
Onto the magical lands of, 'Unicorn Winery'!  I loved, loved, loved this Winery's logo!  A very classic take on some great grapes, we were able to taste their Pinot Gris, Table White, Chardonnay, Chambourcin, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  


Of the wines tasted, my two favorite were the Pinot Gris and the Chardonnay.  The Pinot Gris had a beautiful balance between florals and fruits on the nose, with a light and creamy tactile sensation on the palate.  Between the dry honeysuckle notes on the palate and the more fruity pear/apple flavors, I found this white to be very complex and interesting.  I would describe the Chardonnay as being very heavy and full bodied on the palate, but sharing in similar floral notes on both the nose and palate. 


I found Unicorn Winery's Table White to be a little stinky on the nose, with tons of mango coming through on the palate.  I found the Chambourcin to be a lighter bodied red, that was very tannic and spicy on the palate.  And finally, the Cabernet Sauvignon, I found to be lighter bodied with a much more dark berry - black current - flavor on the palate.   


Unicorn Winery Tasting Selection
The rainy, cool day quickly grew warmer, as the wine festival became super crowded.  On our way out, we ran into these guys enjoying some Sangria on the warm afternoon:

Even these guys dig some sangria!
I would say that the Fork and Cork Festival was a fantastic success!  I greatly enjoyed sampling wines from various wineries around Virginia, although it was a little hard to keep up with them all.  I discovered some great new favorites, and some unique takes on some old classics.  I hope to be able to come back next year after I graduate to attend the festival again!

Professor Boyer's Lecture at Fork & Cork!

An artistic Wine Portrait

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Tasting Week 13: Beringer Pinot Grigio


Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Napa, California
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Price: $7.95 
Food?: Paired with mozzarella, bread, and salami.





Winery Review:
Founders' Estate Pinot Grigio has the perfect balance of zesty citrus and lush tropical fruit flavors and aromas.

My Review: 
A perfect apertif, this Pinot Grigio is very smooth and pleasing for it's price range.  On the nose, this white is comparably very light and fruity, with notes of pear and wildflowers.  On the palate, this white lands bright and fresh with strong green apple and lemon flavors.  There is almost no heat from the alcohol, and when paired with the very salty appetizers, this white is refreshing, light, and fruity. 

Tasting Week 13: Banrock Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: South Eastern Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2009
Price: $7.95 
Food?: Paired with mozzarella, bread, and salami.



Winery Review:
A red wine with rich berry fruit flavors.  Soft vanilin oak and a fine tannin structure create balance and length.

My Review:  
Earthy red in color, this blend of 52% Shiraz and 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, produces a bouquet of cherry and oak.  On the palate, this red has a very strong tannic structure with a pleasing leather and black cherry finish.  There was some burning rubber bitterness on the end palate that I found to unbalance the wine as a whole.  All-in-all this was a pretty decent shiraz/cab blend, despite it's slight disjointedness.

Tasting Week 13: Jargon Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Napa, California
Country: USA
Year: 2009
Price: $8.95
Food?: Paired with pasta.





Winery Review: 
Our rich yet vibrant Chardonnay offers intriguing aromatics of green apple, honeysuckle and stone fruit. The mouthfeel is inviting and well balanced leading the way for flavors of peach, kiwi and orange blossom. This very well balanced wine has a wonderful creamy texture yet allows the natural acidity to complete the whole varietal experience.

My Review:  
Oak, oak, and oh wait... more oak!  This is probably the oaky-est wine I have had thus far in my wine tasting career.  Literally, there was nothing but oak on the palate for this white.  The nose seemed rather promising with some hints of crisp and clean pear and vanilla.  The palate, however, hit just the single-notedness of the mouthful oak.  The most interesting part of this wine was probably the slight heat from the alcohol that gave it some dimension, but not very much.  While I found the label of this white to be rather enticing, the overall palate was quite a disappointment. :(

Tasting Week 13: Macaron Pinot Grigio


Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Tre Venezie
Country: Italy
Year: 2011
Price: $9.99 
Food?: Paired with Pasta and Tomato Sauce




Winery Review:
Sophisticated aromas of fresh citrus and honeysuckle followed by a crisp, refreshing finish.

My Review:  
On the nose, this golden white is floral with some hints of fresh lemon.  On the palate, floral notes mingle with hints of fresh green apple, leading to a smooth finish.  The pasta and tomato sauce subdued the more floral notes, bringing out the green apple and pear.  This Pinot would also make a fantastic apertif.  

Tasting Week 13: Maroon Effect Ale (Bull & Bones)

Variety: Brown Ale
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $3.00
Food?: Paired with Pork BBQ Quesadilla.






Brewery Review: 
In the brown ale category, this malty beauty shows local spirit with a distinctive maroon tint.  With an intricate balance of both chocolate and caramel malts and an abundance of premium hops, this beer is extremely complex with a very smooth aftertaste. (Bull & Bone's Website)


My Review:
My absolute favorite local brew, Bull & Bone's 'Maroon Effect,' features a bright and deep maroon color.  On the palate, this dark beer features the deep earthy chocolatey notes, as well as some silky caramel flavors towards the end palate.  While this is pretty smooth for a dark beer, there is some bitterness towards the end palate, that I find to actually make the beer a little more interesting.  This beer makes a good pair with the richer, meatier fairs at Bull & Bones.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Tasting Week 11: Cantina di Casteggio Moscato di Pavia

Variety: Moscato
Region: Pavese
Country: Italy
Year: N/A
Price: $7.95 
Food?: Not Paired with Food.







Winery Review:
Bright, light golden color.  Very aromatic nose of ripe apricots, sage, honey and a slight minerality.  Medium bodied, sweet and fruity with flavors of apricots and tangerine.  Well balanced acidity and medium finish with layers of sweet citrus fruity.

My Review:
I was a little scared to try this Moscato, after the complete and utter fail of the first Moscato that I've had in the tastings, but this proved to change my perspective on sweet wines.  Strong notes of sweet and bubbly apricot on the nose, a little frizzante and almost white in color, this Moscato tasted like a light, sweet soda on the palate more than anything else.  Lightly sweet, and oddly smooth, with a general floral overtone with some bright nectarine, orange, and apricot flavors, I found this white to be extremely fun and interesting.  Although it is labeled a 'dessert' wine, I could imagine having this white as an in-between meal aperitif.  Surprisingly delicious.

Tasting Week 11: Montebuena Rioja Crianza

Variety: Tempranillo
Region: La Rioja Region
Country: Spain
Year: 2007
Price: $6.95 
Food?: Not Paired with Food.







Winery Review:
100% Tempranillo.  Dark red.  Spicy red berries and cherry on the nose, with hints of cracked pepper and dried rose.  Crisp and dry on the palate, with spicy red current and cherry flavors, light tannins and a fresh, energetic finish.  An excellent value, and surprisingly elegant for this price point.

My Review:  
Deep red in color, this tempranillo features spicy dark cherry on the nose.  I found this red to be rather thin-bodied and extremely spicy on the mid-palate.  Very dry and tannic, I could imagine pairing this red with a Mediterranean feast. A little too bold and spicy for my palate, but possibly paired with the right dinner, could be rather fantastic.

Tasting Week 11: Varas Vinho Tinto (The First Boxed Wine?!)

Variety: Blended
Region: Lisbon
Country: Portugal
Year: N/A
Price: $21.95 ($5.49/Bottle) 
Food?: Not Paired with Food.




 

Winery Review: 
This smooth Portuguese red is a blend of Castelao (45%), Tinta Ririz (25%), Tinta Barroca (20%) and Pinot Noir (10%.)  The vineyards are located near Lisbon, planted in sunny gentle slopes of clay and limestone soils.  The wine was aged in oak barrels.

My Review:
I was excited to taste my very first (I think!) boxed wine of the tastings.  Bright cherry on the nose, this deep red featured strong cherry and Earth notes on the palate.  Decently balanced, I found this red to be a little thin, with some medicinal bitterness towards the end-palate.  Not my favorite red of the tasting, but certainly not the worse!